Wait Mate is a not-for-profit movement of people who believe childhood should be shaped by experiences and real-world connection before smartphones. By connecting parents and building safe, supportive communities, Wait Mate empowers parents and caregivers to wait as long as possible before giving their kids a smartphone. In doing so, we help lift the pressure that so often sits with one parent or one child, making waiting feel possible, supported and shared, and helping change what's considered normal.

Wait Mate started with a group of parents who saw the impact smartphones were having on kids and decided they wanted a different future for their own children.

This is a pivotal moment for the movement. A nationwide minimum age for social media is now in force, and public concern about what screens are doing to children has never been higher. In South Australia, the State Government has committed $3.6 million to bring Wait Mate to every public and private school parent in the state, in partnership with the Department for Education, reaching parents through primary schools first and then high schools. A founding team of five volunteer parents has carried Wait Mate to this point. The organisation now needs its first Chief Executive to turn that energy into a lasting national movement, and to help shape how a whole country gives childhood back to its kids.

The role at a glance

• Employment type: Part-time initially (0.5 FTE, approximately two and a half days per week), with potential to increase as the organisation grows
• Location: National role, flexible location
• Reports to: Board
• Direct reports: Director SA, Director, Marketing and Communications, and future roles
• Remuneration: $130,000 to $150,000 plus 12% superannuation (pro-rata)

About the role

As Wait Mate's first Chief Executive, you will lead the movement nationally at a defining moment, launching our first major rollout in South Australia while building the foundations for a lasting national organisation. Working with a passionate, skilled Board and a capable team in South Australia, you will set strategic direction, build the organisation's systems and capability, and position Wait Mate for sustainable impact and growth. This is a chance to lead the journey from start-up to scale, with substantial autonomy, Board support, and the opportunity to help change childhood for Australian families.

What you will do

• Set organisational strategy and vision with the Board.
• Build governance, operational and evaluation frameworks from the ground up.
• Support and connect the South Australian team and the Board.
• Lead national fundraising and build relationships with funders and partners.
• Build the evidence base that demonstrates Wait Mate's impact.
• Engage with State Governments around the country.
• Plan for national growth beyond South Australia.

About you

You are a capable, hands-on leader who has built or scaled organisations or initiatives. You combine strategic thinking with a track record of getting things done. You are financially savvy, and comfortable with the ambiguity of a social start-up. You bring strong stakeholder management skills, an evidence-based mindset, and a genuine passion for children's wellbeing.

Personal experience navigating parenting decisions about smartphones is highly valued, as is experience in the not-for-profit, government, education, youth, health or social change sectors.

Why Wait Mate

This is a rare chance to shape a movement from the ground up, with autonomy, flexibility, and the support of a passionate Board and founding team. It is meaningful work that could change childhood for a generation of Australian children.

Wait Mate is a child-safe organisation. Appointment is subject to a Working with Children Check, a national police check and referee checks. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, and we are happy to adjust the recruitment process if you need us to.

Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] using the subject line: CEO - Flexible Location enquiry via EthicalJobs with questions or call Maya Marcus on 0433 038 123.

A position description is attached.